Sports stats



WHL Saskatoon Blades

Molendyk & Budd Invited to Canada Summer Camps

July 16, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Saskatoon, SK - Saskatoon Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk and rookie goaltender Ryley Budd have an opportunity to represent their country on the international stage. Molendyk has been invited to the Under-20 National Team summer camp while Budd will be vying for a chance to represent Canada at the 2024 U-17 World Challenge in Sarnia, Ont. Blades Goaltending Coach Jeff Harvey will join Budd at the U-17 summer camp.

Molendyk will be looking to represent Canada at the Under-20 World Junior Championships after getting injured in the preliminary games last December due to injury. The Nashville Predators prospect had a career year in 2023-24 scoring 10 goals and adding 46 assists to finish the season with over a point per game.

The McBride, BC product was originally selected fifth overall by the Blades in the 2020 WHL Prospects Draft. The first-round swagger stuck with Molendyk when he was selected 24th overall by the Predators at the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. Molendyk signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Music City on July 6th, 2023.

16-year-old Ryley Budd earned himself an invite to the Under-17 camp after a monster rookie season in the CSSHL. Budd had an exceptional year with Edge School U-18 Prep this season finishing with a 1.77 GAA and a .936 SV% in 17 games. Budd finished the season with a 15-2-0 record in the regular season and capped it off with a championship as Edge School captured the CSSHL U18 Prep Western Championship.

Selected 42nd overall in 2023 by the Blades, Budd will be looking to make the jump to the Western Hockey League in 2024. As a freshman in the CSSHL U18 Prep League Budd piled up the accolades. He held the best GAA (1.77), best save percentage (.936), 1st All-Star Team Goaltender, and Goaltender of the Year-CSSHL West.

Blades Goaltending Coach Jeff Harvey will be in Sarnia for one of the U-17 teams at the World Challenge this winter. Harvey is coming off a season with the Blades where Austin Elliott and Evan Gardner had one of the most dominating goaltending duos in Blades franchise history. Following 154 career games in the WHL as a player, Harvey spent one season with the Rockford IceHogs of the United Hockey League before joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies for five consecutive seasons. Harvey has been with the Blades since the 2020-2021 season.

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Western Hockey League message board...

Western Hockey League Stories from July 16, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central